The Price of Vengeance
by Fictatious
Summary: BBI game base: Not until every fistsized bit of broken plaster had been cleared did Alphonse stop coming to HQ every morning and staying to help clear the rubble until after the sun sank below the rooftops. sortofnotreally elricest suggestions
1. Chapter 1

There was clicking and scraping. It invaded Roy's unconscious mind like a dripping faucet. As he came closer to waking, he could find voices in the muffled ruckus too. It sounded like a construction crew, he noted and wondered why there should be a work zone outside his bedroom. There hadn't been yesterday, had there?

Suddenly, as a few more layers of sleep slipped away, pain shot through him and he gasped, coming more fully awake. The breath brought a flow of grit and dust into his mouth that made him choke.

Cautiously he opened his eyes and could see nothing. He was trapped in total darkness. There was a heavy weight on his legs and a sharp, agonizing pain in his right arm.

He was buried.

He could still here the voices somewhere above him, muffled through layers of concrete and drywall. The people he'd mistaken for a construction crew must be looking for him. Had there been an earthquake?

Roy drew in a careful breath and shouted. The voices and noise above him paused and then he could hear shouts in return. He couldn't hear words in them, but knew that they had heard him all the same. He shouted back again and felt something brush his left hand.

Someone else was trapped down here with him. Roy swore.

'Are you all right?' he asked into the darkness.

There was muffled stirring and a pained gasp. The crew above had become much louder, obviously working faster now that they knew there were survivors below the rubble.

'G... General...?' Alphonse Elric's voice wavered weakly, sounding muffled, as though his face was pressed awkwardly up against the wreckage.

'Alphonse...' Roy sighed in relief, 'they're digging us out. Hang on.'

'What... happened?'

What had happened? Roy closed his eyes; there was no point in them being open anyway in this inky blackness. 'I...' he started before images started coming back to him.

The Fuhrer. The Homunculi. Ed. Ed!

Roy wondered if he'd said that out loud as he heard Alphonse suddenly gasp. 'Brother! Brother, are you here!'

'Alphonse...'

'_Brother!_' Alphonse's voice shrilled with panic.

Suddenly there was a loud scraping and light poured in over them blindingly. 'General! Alphonse!'

Roy cracked his eyes open slightly to see the gargantuan form of Alex Armstrong standing over him and dragging away a large piece of slag.

Relieved shouts broke out all around as people scrambled to concentrate their efforts on the spot Armstrong had uncovered. A stern, female voice shouted over them all.

'Be careful! Not all of you there! Do not cave it in!' Riza Hawkeye ordered.

'Everybody get back! Don't stand on them!' Jean Havoc added.

'Lieutenant!' Alphonse shouted desperately, his face still pressed against a chunk of plaster and drywall. 'Where's my brother!'

There was a moment of pause before Hawkeye responded. 'We haven't found him yet. Don't worry, Alphonse, we're still searching. Right now we need to get you to the hospital.'

'N-no, I'm fine! Please find my brother!' Alphonse protested.

'It's all right, Alphonse. We have enough people to keep searching even while we get you and the General to the hospital. Please be patient.'

888

Roy's arm had been broken in two places as well as his collarbone. He was now filled with tiny, stainless steel pins and screws and covered in little suchers and gauze. He was alone in his own room, with nurses occasionally coming in and out, simpering and doting over him with syrupy-sweet concern. His mind however was down the hall where Alphonse was being patched up.

He felt like a liar for the way he'd smiled encouragingly at Alphonse's panicked face and said 'Of course he'll be all right, Alphonse. You know how strong Edward is.'

But Alphonse had been teetering on the brink of death when Roy had last seen Ed. The younger brother no longer had a gaping hole through his chest. There wasn't even blood on his ripped shirt. The wound had completely disappeared, and Roy knew that it must have been Edward's doing.

Roy himself had certainly been closer to death than he was at this moment. The deep, hemorrhaging wound on his stomach was gone. His thigh was no longer filleted, the bone visible through the soggy, oozing flesh. The tendons in his left arm were again whole...

And Ed was missing.

Roy knew that the chances the rescue team was even going to find a body were slim. If he was to be at all honest with himself, he would have to admit that he knew damn well that Edward Elric was no longer in this world.


	2. Chapter 2

Not until every fist-sized bit of broken plaster had been cleared did Alphonse stop coming to HQ every morning and staying to help clear the rubble until after the sun sank below the rooftops. After that no one saw him.

After three days of hearing nothing from the boy, Riza cajoled her commander into accompanying her on a visit to the Elric residence. Roy had a habit of avoiding places and people that made him feel guilty. It seemed to be one of the defense mechanisms he'd developed to aid him in forgetting past sins.

However he'd always held some sense of obligation towards the Elric brothers, as Riza, and very few others, was aware and so she found her task slightly easier than it had been to trick Roy into seeing Gracia after Maes's death.

It took a moment for Alphonse to answer the door after the nock sounded through the house. He was trailing three kittens who had freshly reached their adventurous phase. His face was blank of emotion as he smiled politely at his visitors and picked up one of the kittens that tried to sneak past out the door.

'Hello, Lieutenant, General. I wasn't expecting you.' Alphonse greeted them with a hollow, fake cheer in his voice.

'Hello, Alphonse.' Riza smiled warmly back at him. 'We were wondering how you were doing.'

'I'm fine,' Al replied, scooping up another overly-bold kitten. 'Would you like to come in for some tea?'

'That would be lovely. Thank you.' Riza nodded and picked up the third kitten as Al made an attempt to nudge it back with his socked foot.

888

'What's the military doing about the homunculi?' Al asked quietly, looking into his teacup.

'The new Fuhrer is abominably slow to act,' Roy stated candidly. 'It's finally been decided that the homunculi are a threat to the state, and it only took them two weeks to figure that out after being bombed by the bastards. They're in debate now over weather to start up a-- ow!'

Riza continued as Roy bent down to disentangle kitten claws from his pant leg. 'An investigation into the matter has started and it is expected that there will be a police action issued against the homunculi.' She took the kitten from Roy and set it in her lap, scratching it lightly behind the ears.

Al nodded, staring at the table.

'And what are you going to do, Alphonse?' Riza asked quietly. 'Do you think you'll move back to Rizenboul?'

'No...' Al said quietly, not moving his gaze from the wood grain. 'I think I'll put my name on the list for the exam next month.'

Riza and Roy both watched him silently for several minutes and no one responded. After the kitten got bored and leapt down from Riza's lap she spoke quietly. 'Revenge is a pointless endeavor,' she said.

'... It's pointless to take murderers off the streets?' Al whispered, his hands shaking and gripping his teacup very hard.

'Alphonse...'

'Killing the homunculi won't bring Ed back,' Roy said, his voice and face authoritative. 'And he wouldn't have wanted you to waste your life on vengeance.'

'I don't care!' Al shouted abruptly. Twin trails of moisture were now marked down his cheeks, though his bangs now fell in front of his eyes.

There was another elongated silence and then Al stood up and began clearing away dishes.

888

Below Central, in the all but empty and forgotten ruins of an older city, a golden-haired homunculus sat on a crumbling window ledge and gazed across the dark landscape beyond it.

'Hey, Shorty,' a voice called and he ignored it.

'I said,' a hand twisted into his loose hair and yanked backwards so that the boy had to wrap a hand around the window frame to keep from tumbling, '_"Hey, Shorty."_'

His gaze continued not to meet the furious violet eyes glaring into his nearly identical ones. He still made no sign of having noticed Envy but to steady himself so that he wouldn't fall from his ledge.

Envy's eyes narrowed angrily. 'Pride!'

'Yes?' the boy replied instantly, lifting his eyes to his homunculi brother's.

Envy sneered. 'You're picking up an attitude,' he spat.

'Did you need something, Envy?' Pride asked, his voice neutral and oblivious to Envy's growing irritation.

'I've been snooping, and found something you'd be interested in,' Envy replied smugly. 'But you're being such a pill, I think I won't tell you.'

'Whatever.' Pride shrugged and rearranged himself on the windowsill once Envy had let go of his hair.

Envy glared at his back, miffed. 'Alphonse Elric's name has been added to the list of alchemists taking the state certification exam next month,' he said smugly.

'Who's that?' Pride asked, shifting his gaze momentarily to Envy before returning it out the window. 'Is he very good? Why are we interested?'

Envy's face fell into an angry pout. 'Because he's Father's youngest. Your little brother. That's why I thought you'd be interested.'

Pride shrugged. 'Does Father have plans for him?'

'No. He's nothing special.'

'Then why should I care?' Pride cast another glance to Envy.

Envy shrugged. 'There's nothing else happening.' Envy leaned against the wall next to Pride and watched him sit motionless on the window sill for some time. He yawned after a while and stretched. He glared annoyedly down at the blonde head.

'Play with me, Shorty, I'm bored,' he demanded when he could no longer stand it.

'Read a book.'

'No,' Envy pouted and snaked his arms around Pride's waist. 'I want you to play with me. Let's fight. It'll be fun.'

'I don't feel like fighting.'

'Fight me!' Envy gave him a hard shove out the window and caught Pride by surprise. He flailed momentarily in the air before hitting the broken cobbles three stories below and glared back up at Envy, who grinned broadly and stole Pride's spot on the window sill.

Pride snorted and walked away.

888


	3. Chapter 3

A brown and orange kitten hopped onto the table and walked across to sniff at the blonde head lying atop an open book there. It was past midnight and the hanging lamp in the middle of the kitchen was the only light on in the house. Alphonse had slumped over in sleep after 'resting his eyes' some hours ago.

As ever in these past weeks, and often enough before that time, his dreams were of his elder brother and when he woke up with a kitten chewing and pawing at his hair, he was disoriented.

He sighed and put the kitten back on the floor with a scolding for climbing on the table and staggered slightly as he stood and extinguished the lamp.

He let his hand brush along the wall paper as he drifted down the hall to his bedroom, where he slumped into the bed without bothering to change; something he had so often scolded his brother for doing.

He rolled on his side and closed his eyes, but the dream that had really been a memory was still too fresh in his mind to fall back asleep. It wasn't two months ago yet that this particular memory had taken place, yet now it seemed to be in a whole different lifetime.

Lieutenant Havoc had shown up at the door, half supporting Ed under a shoulder and grinning in an apologetic way at Al. 'The good news,' he'd said through his grin, 'is that Edward got a promotion!' He then had laughed and patted Edward's head, who had giggled and grinned through his teeth. 'However the bad news is that your brother is a real light weight.'

'What the hell is that supposed to mean?' Ed had demanded hotly, loosing his goofy smile and glaring up at Jean. 'Are you saying I'm short!'

'No.' Jean just rolled his eyes. 'I'm saying you're a cheap drunk.'

'Oh...' Ed had nodded at that, content with the answer. So long as his height wasn't being insulted, his constitution could go piss off.

'Anyway, sorry to bring him home like this, Alphonse. We really weren't planning on getting him _drunk_, he just kind of tipped over after his second shot...'

Al had smiled and shook his head. 'Thank you for walking him home, Lieutenant.'

'No problem.'

Alphonse had stepped forward and caught his brother under the other arm to lead him in the house as Jean walked down the garden path with a wave back at him. 'Al!' Ed had cooed happily. 'I'm getting a raise! We're going to be able to buy the house! I'll take out a loan from the bank next week!'

'That's great, Brother!' Al laughed and pushed the door closed with his foot as he steered Edward towards the kitchen. 'What rank are they giving you now?'

'Colonel!' Ed exclaimed happily. 'I've got that jerk's old job!' He burst into giggles again.

'You're going to have to wear a uniform now.'

'Ye- oh yeah...' Ed nodded vaguely. 'I'll go to the exchange and get one tomorrow.'

'You'll look so professional!' Al smiled fondly and Ed grinned back up at him lopsidedly, the smell of alcohol on his breath.

Alphonse stumbled as his brother twisted and hugged him, leaning a little much so that Al's shoulder hit the wall behind him. 'This place is gonna be ours and we're gonna stay in one spot and we'll eat at fancy restaurants every weekend!' Ed bubbled enthusiastically over his acquisition of 'the good life' and nuzzled his face into Al's collarbone.

'That's so great, Brother. And you're going to be a great colonel.'

Edward smiled widely back at him, his eyes damp more from the alcohol than emotion, and he hiccuped. 'I couldn't even be a successful bum without you, Al...'

It had been at that moment that Ed had wrapped his arms around Al's neck, pushed himself up on tiptoe and kissed his younger brother full on the mouth.

Needless to say, Alphonse had been shocked. Edward hadn't seemed to remember the event the next day when he'd sobered up and Al had decided not to bring it up. Edward just would have been embarrassed, he'd told himself.

But the event had made him notice things he hadn't even thought about before. The blushes and awkwardness, sometimes even avoidance. Later that same week, the way Edward had gone red and stammered incoherently before running away after he'd accidentally walked in on his younger brother in the bath.

Alphonse hadn't brought it up. He'd ignored it and pushed it out of his mind. He was able to admit to himself now that it had been out of fear. Now he stared at the back of his eyelids and kicked himself. He should have said something. He should have done something. The fact that Edward seemed to have feelings for him that went beyond the range of brotherly had terrified him too much to think about, but now...

Now Edward was gone.

Now Al was left alone with only his cats and a gnawing regret. What if he'd been able to have a deeper relationship with Ed? What if he'd been able to make Ed see how valuable his own life was? What if... What if he'd been so unhappy, keeping such strong feelings bottled up inside of him, that he hadn't wanted to keep living? If Alphonse had done anything about the display of affection, if he'd acted on it at all, would his brother still be alive?


	4. Chapter 4

'What's the point of me being here?' Al asked. 'She's already dead and I'm not trained in forensics. So what am I doing here?'

'Half of your job is image,' Roy replied smoothly. 'Right now you are standing here and taking in facts to keep abreast of the investigation _and_ you are adding to the number of state and city officials standing in this ally showing people that we are doing something.

'So I'm a prop.'

'You are a member of this investigation,' Roy corrected. He narrowed his eyes a bit. Al had never been so impatient or irritable. That was Ed's job. Al had ever been the mediator for his brother, and yet his before inscrutable temper and sweet nature was becoming ever shorter as the circles under his eyes grew darker.

'I'm not doing anything,' Al said through his teeth. 'I'm standing here and accomplishing nothing. Not towards this investigation and not towards the god-damned homunculus case. I am useless here. I could be doing research or looking for witnesses or anything that would make this charade move _faster_.'

'Alphonse--'

'It's like _lying!_ There's a whole bunch of us standing around here doing _nothing_ just to show people that we're doing _something!_ How much more crass can we get?'

'We won't be here much longer.'

'We've been here for two hours! We've already wasted that much time!'

'You are increasingly starting to sound like your brother, Soul.' Roy sent him a warning look. 'And not in a good way. Do you remember what patience is?'

Al glared back at him. 'People are dying every night. That would be a pretty severe time-constraint, wouldn't you say? This is one of those kinds of times you would want to pick up the pace as much as possible.'

'This is one of the times when you would not want to make mistakes. If we go about the investigation carelessly, it will end up costing us more time.'

'How is it careful to have people being _idle?_ I'm idle here! Give me something to do!'

'...' Roy glared ahead of him at the body now collected onto a gurney and ready to be taken to the morgue. 'Go home.'

'What?'

'Go home and get some sleep. And eat something. You're no good to me like this.'

'Like _what?_'

'You're exhausted, Alphonse.'

'No, I'm fi--'

'Go _home_.' Roy shot the boy a stern look. '_Now_.'

Alphonse growled, glaring daggers at him for a moment before turning around and storming away up the ally.

Roy watched him for a moment, making sure he turned in the direction of his house and not HQ. Beside him, Riza sighed. 'He thinks it's his fault. He's just exactly like his brother...'

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

True that his attitude had worsened to match Edwards, under the pressures of guilt and overwork as well as sleep depravation and malnourishment, but Alphonse still knew he was far weaker than his brother had been. Edward had never collapsed bawling into his pillow, sobbing like an infant and occasionally flailing kicks and punches into the surrounding furniture. At least not more than once or twice; Alphonse found himself doing it almost constantly.

Al pressed the pillow hard to his face as he screamed. It didn't satisfy like hearing his anguish bouncing off the walls, echoing and amplifying might have, but he was too conscious of the neighbors to allow himself that luxury.

He kept sobbing silently after his vocal cords gave out, his whole frame shaking with each gasp until well after his complete exhaustion had pulled him into dreamless sleep.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Envy traced a finger over the red alchemy markings on Pride's stomach. He found them fascinating. Usually he dismissed marks upon the skin as blemishes, unattractive and unwanted, but the gently curving, blood-colored lines crisscrossing Pride's fair skin did not seem to detract from his over-all beauty. They served as decoration. Like ornaments upon a tree, they brought out more interest in the thing underneath

'You're so beautiful, Pride.' Envy pushed his hand under the other homunculus' halter, trying to follow the lines that arced towards his neck.

'I'm reading, Envy,' Pride reminded him. He spent most of his time reading. He'd so far relearned history and biology and was now well into their father's classical literature.

Envy made a face that Pride didn't look around his book to see. 'What is it?' Envy sighed, letting himself collapse sideways and tuck his chin up against Pride's shoulder to see the page.

'Agamemnon.'

'Who's he?'

'A king of ancient Greece.'

'Why do we care?'

'The Orestea is a dramatic chronicle of one of the most important events in Greek mythology. It is the conclusion of the Trojan Cycle and the beginning of Modern Law.'

'Blah blah blah,' Envy translated. 'This is boring. Play with me.'

'It's not boring.' Pride didn't look away from the pages; he even had the gall to turn one over. 'It's important.'

'Then you're boring,' Envy sulked. 'I want to fight.'

'You're addicted to adrenaline.'

'What's that?'

'An endorphin.'

Envy snorted. 'I miss you not knowing anything. You got boring.'

'You've always said I was boring.'

'Because you aaaaaare!' Envy whined and pushed himself up. 'You just sit and read all day. Haven't you read enough? When are you going to finish?'

'When I know everything.'

Envy glared down at the smaller sin for a while before snapping into sudden motion. He snatched the elderly book out of Pride's hands and darted out of the room.

'ENVY!' Pride shouted angrily and chased after him.


	5. Chapter 5

'The only consistency between the murders is the weapon. But we can't even be sure on that because it was a blade of some kind. Most likely a sword. The doctors say that the way they were cut can correspond with any number of different fighting techniques and isn't stylized enough in any way to rule out the possibility of multiple suspects.' Farman held a clipboard of the latest news from the lab and spoke to the room in general.

'But it's probably one guy. I mean, they all look the same. And how many people are running around with swords in this day and age?' Havoc sighed, tapping his pen against the huge pile of paperwork in front of him.

'But we can't be sure,' Fury shook his head. 'So we have to approach this as though there were any number of suspects.'

'Bradley used swords...' Al said quietly, looking down at his hands spread flat on his desk.

The room became silent, except for the ticking of the clock, and everyone turned to look at the youngest member of their team. There was a prolonged quiet.

'This is a distraction,' Al whispered and bit his lip hard, tasting blood in his mouth. 'The killings aren't going to stop until we catch the homunculi.'

'... We can't be sure of that, Alphonse,' Fury said, a doubtful frown sliding over his features. 'We should look at it as a possibility, but we can't abandon this investigation to widen our search for the homunculi because we have to look at the possibility that it might _not_ be the case.'

'The police are the ones that should be looking into these murders. _We_ should be looking for the homunculi.' Al's teeth clenched.

There was another long silence in the room before Al pushed back his chair and stood. 'I'm going to talk to the General.'

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Al slumped back against the brick wall behind him. His eyes started to droop in weariness. A hand clad in rough gloves lightly slapped his cheek and he shook his head to clear it of sleepiness. The General raised an eyebrow at him and Alphonse grimaced back.

They were following a young woman with brown hair who normally worked a comfortable desk job in the military but tonight had agreed to be bait. She glanced around herself nervously, hugging a bag of groceries and clattering along on ridiculous high-heeled shoes.

This was the third night they'd followed her around town after the sun went down, when all sensible people were shut safe in their houses for fear of the murderer on the loose. Al didn't think he could live off of coffee for much longer. He yawned and shook his head again to clear it.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

'She shouldn't be out after dark.' Vengeance quirked a smile as he looked down off the rooftop he and two other sins were perched on.

'Well maybe she'll know better for next time.' Envy grinned maliciously. 'Or maybe not.'

'The latter.'

'She looks nervous,' Pride commented, tilting his head.

'You'd be nervous too if you were about to die, Shorty.' Envy tousled Pride's hair lightly.

'Ow, stop, Envy!' Pride complained, batting him away.

'Be quiet, you two, or I won't let you come along again.' With that Vengeance jumped off the roof.

'Watch him work, kid,' Envy wrapped an arm around Pride's waist and pulled him forward to the edge. 'Vengeance is an expert swordsman, even if he is the next youngest to you.'

There was a scream bellow, and then shouts and a gun firing.

Envy leaned further over with interest. 'Party-crashers!' he whispered.

'Should we help him?' Pride asked, concern coming over his face.

'Nah, Vengeance can handle himself. They're just -- Oh!' Envy's face lit up with greater excitement and the glow of firelight. 'Interesting...'

'Who are they?' Pride looked away from the newcomers and up at his elder brother.

'Alchemists,' Envy answered, grinning. 'Ones I've fought before.'

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

'Bradley.'

'General Mustang.' The ex-Fuhrer grinned unconcernedly. 'Have I been caught in a set-up? You actually used a real girl this time!* But then I suppose your usual bait is... incapacitated, hm?'

'YOU BASTARD!'

Roy made a grab for Alphonse's coat as the boy whipped past him with a spear he'd just transmuted out of the ground, but missed. 'Alphonse!'

Al screamed rabidly and charged, swinging his stone spear around to meet the two swords the sin held in front of him crossed like scissors. In three strokes, the spear was broken and Alphonse was pinned to the ground with a blade pointed at his throat.

'What a disappointment,' the homunculus sighed, looking down at the furious alchemist. 'You're not half the alchemist you're brother was, even if you do have more spirit. Such a shame in the end he'd waste himself on garbage like you two...'

'SHUT UP!' Al kicked the sword away from his neck and as soon as it was out of range, the former Fuhrer burst into flames.

'You idiot!' Roy snarled, dragging Al back by the shoulder. 'Get a hold of yourself!'

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Pride jumped up.

'Sit down. He's fine,' Envy ordered, pulling Pride, who had been poised to jump off the roof, down into his lap. 'These ass-holes can't put a scratch on him.'

'B-but...'

'I told you, Vengeance can handle himself. He just got distracted. It won't happen again.'

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

'Let go of me,' Al hissed, trying to wrench his shoulder out of Roy's grip.

'Alphonse, I swear--'

Whatever Roy had been about to say was cut-off by Al's fist connecting with his face. Freed from his restrainer, Al pelted forward again, his hands slapping together, and transmuting the broken piece of spear in his hands into two knives.

He was screaming again as he ran. A blast of fire preceded him, in the hopes of disorienting the sin enough that he didn't cut Alphonse up like butter.

Al caught a sword with one knife, although it more than grazed his arm in the process, and ducked under the second, landing a knee in the sin's gut and, before his momentum died, a second knife in its head.

He tumbled with the homunculus to the ground as it reeled in the throes of another death. The knife Al had used to block a sword came down on the sin's chest and twisted around in a circle, bumping along the ribs as he scribbled a quick design and slammed his hands down.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

'Holy shit!' Envy gasped as an explosion splattered bits of Vengeance all over the walls of the alley.

'Envy!' Pride jumped up. 'This is _bad_, Envy!'

'Holy shit!' Envy repeated. 'I didn't think the little shit had it in him!'

'Envy!'

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Alphonse's hands slammed down on the rough array scratched into the pavement around a philosophers' stone heart that was rapidly regenerating a new body around itself. This could either kill the homunculus, or him. Hopefully the former.

The flash blinded him.

As he blinked rapidly to clear his vision he could make out, mixed with splotchy black and red, the red lump between his hands crumbling, melting, disappearing.

He stared.

'Holy shit...' he could hear Roy whisper in the new silence.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

'Envy...' Pride stared down into the now quiet alley. 'Envy, what do we do?'

'Holy shit...' Envy murmured again.

'Envy!'

Envy shook himself and then managed a casual shrug. 'We say "hello".'

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Alphonse froze at the unexpected sound. Clapping.

Vaguely, he was aware of the General's voice gasping a very low and disbelieving exclamation, but before he could wonder on that a new voice broke in.

'Well, _shit!_ I didn't see _that_ one coming! I thought you were the sweet, _gentle_ brother!'

Al snarled through is teeth and whipped around to see the green-haired homunculus and...

He stopped dead in his tracks. His mind froze up and his face went blank. He stared. His mouth opened and closed uselessly for what could have been hours as he stared at the second person, unable to make his mind understand what he was seeing.

'B... B-Brother?' he stammered in a voice that was barely above a whisper.

The very image of Edward Elric stared back at him with emotionless, slitted, violet eyes. There was no recognition in those eyes. No love. No Edward.

'Brother...' He took a shaky step forward.

'Alphonse, no!' Roy shouted, lunging over the bloodstained pavement and grabbing the boy by the arm. 'That's not Edward!'

'No! Let go of me!' Al screamed and tried to pull away. 'Brother! Brother! How...!'

Envy threw back his head and cackled loudly. 'Oh fuck, this is funnier than I ever hoped!' He threaded his fingers through Pride's hair and leaned down, nuzzling the younger sin's cheek. 'Isn't he beautiful? A perfection of never-ending youth...'

'... bastard...' Al whispered shakily. 'BASTARD!' he screamed, again fighting against Mustang's hold. '_What did you do to him?!_'

'We made him better.' Envy grinned, biting Prides ear, which caused him to twitch away in annoyance.

'Envy, this is a pointless waste of time,' Pride said.

'You're right, Pride,' Envy smirked. 'I wonder...' He stood up straight again, smirking cruelly at the military dogs before him. 'Wouldn't it be funny to let _him_ kill you?' He laughed out loud again, his grin seeming to split his face in half.

Alphonse's face drained completely of color. He stared back at Envy in horror for a moment before his eyes shot back to the sin that had been his brother. The cold, violet eyes seemed unconcerned.

'Are we going to kill them or not, Envy?' Pride glared up annoyedly at the other sin. 'They killed Vengeance.'

A gasping, sobbing sound broke from Al's lips and he stopped pulling against Roy's arms. His body went slack and his mind went into a blank, white buzz.

'... No. As funny as it would be. We should report this to Father immediately.' Envy turned and started strolling away down the street. 'Besides, we can always come back and finish them off later.'

Pride nodded and started to follow him.

'... wait...' Al whispered hoarsely. 'Wait! _Please!_ Brother!'

The sins glanced back at him. 'He's talking to you,' Envy said, nudging Pride's shoulder. Pride glanced up at him and then back at Alphonse.

'Please...' Al whimpered. 'Please, Brother... are... are you happy?' Tears were wending their way down his face. He looked pathetic. The image of human weakness. But there was some longing, some desperate need that shown in his eyes which Pride found somewhat intriguing.

He glanced up at Envy.

'Satisfied with your life. Free of worry. Well fed,' Envy translated, a fresh grin twitching at his lips.

Pride looked back at the boy for a moment, considering, and then gave a small nod.

'Yes.'

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

* In BBI, Ed is dolled up as a woman at one point and acts as 'bait'. He is very pretty and highly annoyed.

Note about Al transmuting without a circle, in the manga he picks up that ability after the encounter with Greed.

Note on Bradley's name, 'Vengeance' and 'Wrath' are different translations for the same sin (yes, Bradley is Wrath in the comics). Admittedly in FMA, the sins' names are written in katakana and it is therefor 'Rasu' but I've taken an artistic license for a few reasons mainly concerning the beautiful and talented Cofie which will come into play in the next chapter.


	6. Chapter 6

Roy had left Alphonse laying on the couch in the break room shortly before sunrise. He'd been pretending to sleep but loosing control over his measured breathing now and then and shuddering or curling in on himself a bit more. Coffee had gotten Roy through necessary paperwork and letters to the appropriate higher-ups. One homunculus down, and a new one possibly identified...

Riza had come in early and been surprised to find her commander in his office. She'd come in with a smile and a congratulations because this must have meant they'd caught the killer, but fell silent immediately when she saw the look on Roy's face.

Her whole body seemed to go icy as she listened to the recount. She could feel cold sweat on her face and her legs ached like she'd been walking for days. She tried to train her face into the usual semblance of calm attentiveness and could feel her cheek twitching in protest of the lie.

'It looked just like him...' Roy whispered, his hands covering his face. 'Except the eyes... they were slit like a cat's and... empty...'

Riza stared down at her folded hands. They would shake when she wasn't paying attention to them.

'He doesn't seem to have any memory... He was going to kill us... God... Alphonse...'

There was a knock at the door and then it opened and a blonde head poked into the office. 'I'm going home now, if that's all right,' Al said with a smile.

'Alphonse...' Riza's hands clenched together.

'I'm all right,' Al assured her as the two looked at him with a mix of pain and pity. 'He... he said he was happy...' Al said very quietly, looking at the floor. 'Brother... He's always worried so much about everything. He's always thought everything in the world was his fault. If... if this is the way for him to stop hurting...'

Riza's head dipped slightly and she blinked fast.

'Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I was leaving,' Al said again, casting them another smile and a wave before the door shut again.

888

Al arrived home later with fresh milk and a box of razors. Three kittens chased into the kitchen after him with a chorus of squeaks, followed, at a more leisurely pace, by their mother, who was yawning widely and licking her lips. She curled herself around Al's leg a few times as he walked to the cabinet for a bowl and then back to the table, while the kittens pulled out his shoelaces and chased after them.

'There you go,' Alphonse said with a gentle smile, setting down the bowl of milk on the floor and quickly drawing the attention away from his feet. 'You're all so impatient today.'

The cats quickly went to ignoring him, choosing instead to concentrate on the milk. Al watched them for a while, smiling. 'We're going to go for a trip when you finish there,' he told them.

888

'Why did that boy call me "brother"?' Pride asked, perching atop the armrest of the couch that Envy was sprawled on.

'He mistook you for someone dead,' Envy answered with a shrug.

'Why?'

'Your body was made in his image. But he was imperfect; that's why he's dead.' Envy sat up momentarily to catch Pride's wrists and drag him down on top of him. 'Edward Elric,' Envy mused as he traced a red line that started near Pride's ear and wended down under the collar of his halter. 'Would have been an exquisite human sacrifice, but he went and threw himself away so we couldn't use him. Very cheeky. But then Father made you from what was left of him, and you are perfect.'

'Imperfect things can become perfect?' Pride asked, tilting his head.

'If Father thinks they deserve it.' Envy grinned and nuzzled Pride's cheek. 'Like you and me. We _deserve_ perfection.'

888

His right arm was the hardest part. Sweat broke out on Alphonse's face as he desperately focused his concentration. He had to get the lines perfect and he wouldn't have a second chance. He worked slowly, running the razor along his arm, leaving thin, pink lines that slowly wept red as he moved on.

Al was just relieved that he didn't have to put anything on his back. He didn't think he could have done that himself. The rest was fairly easy, as he could use his preferred hand. He could see the blood trickling slowly down his skin, dying it red, but he didn't feel more than a pressure, like the tip of a pen, as the razor glided gracefully through his skin.

888

Riza walked down the street with a shopping bag of old clothes and blankets held against her chest. They'd been sitting by the door for a week, since Alphonse had told her over lunch about the new orphanage in his neighborhood and recruited her to donate, but she hadn't found the time to walk them over until now.

Of course, it wasn't so much the guilt of having put off charity that lead her on a long detour that morning, so much as an excuse to go an additional block north and walk Alphonse to work; because she was in the neighborhood, of course. She balanced the bag on her hip as she lifted the latch on the gate and strode up the little paved path through the garden to give a quick, smart knock on the door.

It opened and a plump woman with black hair peppered in silver opened it and looked back at her curiously. 'Good morning,' Riza smiled. 'I work with Alphonse and he talked me into bringing by some things for you.'

'Oh!' The woman smiled back warmly. 'Well thank you so much, dear.' She accepted the bag from Riza with a nod. 'He's such a dear boy. He's been quite a help around here. Would you like to come in?'

'Oh, no, thank you, I'm on my way to work.' Riza shrugged apologetically. 'I just had a bit of extra time this morning and thought I'd drop...'

'Is something wrong, dear?' the governess asked as Riza's face suddenly shifted, a small, open-mouthed frown across her lips and her eyebrows drawing towards the center. Following Riza's gaze she spotted the kitten that had wandered into the hall behind her.

'That cat...'

'Oh yes.' The governess smiled again. 'Alphonse brought them over yesterday. The children just adore them.'

'"Them"?'

'Three kittens and their mother.' She nodded. 'Is something the matter?'

'I... I...' Riza stared, shaking her head, before she turned and bolted back down the walk, jumping the gate without breaking stride and pelting north up the street. The governess watched her go with a bit of shock and a sudden, quiet dread creeping slowly up her spine. Alphonse had brought a lot of things to them the previous afternoon, including many very new-looking things, but he hadn't stayed to play with the children like he usually did.

888

'_Alphonse!_' Riza pounded on the door. '_Alphonse!_' There was no response.

She backed up to the edge of the porch and launched herself forward, her shoulder leaned down as a battering ram. The door opened easily with the sound of splintering wood, weakened from dry rot, and Riza stumbled slightly before regaining her balance and shouting again.

'_Alphonse!_'

There was still no answer. The house was dark and felt very, very empty. Riza ran through the living room, where all the pillows were missing off furniture (at the orphanage, perhaps?) and the fireplace was black and cold. She skidded to a halt in the kitchen when she spotted the paper on the table.

There was an envelope in the middle with the word 'RENT' written across it and next to that an open letter.

_I deeply apologize for breaking the commitments I've made in recent months. I know it's irresponsible of me and that I am probably being childish and stupid right now, but I can't seem to help myself. I'm sorry to everyone._

Alphonse Elric 

It was a short note that didn't explain anything and left a lot of blank space on the paper below it. In the middle of that blank space sat a handcrafted, silver watch.

Riza's hand went to her mouth, as though to stifle a scream, as she read the tiny note. She could feel moisture on her cheeks when she turned away from the table and screamed again, her voice cracking with hysteria. 'ALPHONSE!'

She ran through every room of the house and opened every closet. The only evidence she found of someone having been there was a few bloody footprints in Alphonse's bedroom.

888

'You.'

He looked up. A woman slid out of the shadows in a flowing, snakelike way a short distance down the alley. He raised an eyebrow at her.

'Me,' he replied.

'You're lost, right?' the woman asked. Her lips were fixed into a smug, little, dark red smile. She didn't smell of flesh, but rather a sharp, metallic scent that bit at the nose.

'Why should that matter to you?' he asked, crossing his arms.

'Because I was sent to find you,' she answered, looking even more smug. 'Come along, I'll show you the way home. Father is expecting you.

He tilted his head slightly and debated. He decided that he really didn't have any better ideas and so he nodded and followed the strange woman as she glided slowly ahead of him, her hips swaying like a boat on water.

888

Home was underground. It was dark and cool. It might have once been a sprawling, human metropolis, but most of that was shrouded by darkness as the sun was only a memory here.

Father was a large man with long golden hair and a beard. There were many lines on his face. He looked quite stationary. He smelled sharp and metallic, more strongly than the woman who had been the escort. He also smelt of flesh though, of old decay.

Three other people stood around the room that he was lead into. It was fairly large but they were all near the center, around this 'Father'. His gaze slid past the first two without much pause but stuck when it landed on the smallest, who was golden like Father.

'My son,' Hoenheim rumbled with a smile at the new arrival. 'Welcome.'

He glanced up at Father briefly before his eyes again returned to the golden boy. Hoenheim followed his gaze for a moment and then smiled. 'I think you have more than earned your name, Vengeance.'

Vengeance looked back at him and blinked, looking a bit startled. '... Vengeance...' he mimicked and then nodded.

'Welcome, Vengeance.'

Vengeance nodded again and then turned back to the other homunculus again and strode across the floor to him. 'Your face,' he said quietly, catching Pride's chin, 'I know it.'

'I didn't think this one had any talent,' Lust said quietly, folding her arms under her bosom. 'It was always Edward that showed aptitude.'

'Mm.' Hoenheim nodded. 'He has shown that he truly is my son.'

'Why should we trust him?' Envy stuck his hands on his hips and cast a suspicious glance at Vengeance as he exchanged quiet words with Pride. 'He made _himself_. That's weird. How do we know this isn't some kind of trick?'

Hoenheim raised an eyebrow at Envy. 'You doubt my judgement, Envy?'

'... No father.' Envy turned his head away, sticking out his lip sulkily.

'He flourishes under the force of revenge.' Hoenheim smiled to himself. 'How fortunate that he killed the old Vengeance. I can't think of any name that could ever suit my son better.'

'Indeed.' Lust smirked. 'Alphonse Elric only ever did seem to show fire when Edward w--'

'HEY!' Envy shrieked indignantly, startling Hoenheim and Lust out of conversation.

They followed his glare to where Pride and Vengeance were now carefully exploring each other's mouths and ghosting hands over skin in light caresses.

'_That's_ MINE!' Envy howled, pointing a finger at Pride, who paid no attention to him, nor did Vengeance.

Lust rolled her eyes and Hoenheim shrugged. Gluttony giggled in amusement as Envy cursed loudly and stomped out of the room.

888

Vengeance was a creation of the beautiful Cofie and I was inspired to write this fic by her amazing pictures. cofie. deviant art. com/ (take out spaces)


End file.
